


Dennyson

by J_Flattermann



Series: Bridges [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-03
Updated: 2014-07-03
Packaged: 2018-02-07 07:56:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1891206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Flattermann/pseuds/J_Flattermann





	Dennyson

 

It had been raining all day, the clouds hanging so low forming some kind of mist. The light early eclipsed, too early for this time of year.  
I was on my way home, crossing the bridge and with just two more street corners ahead.

The minute I stepped onto the bridge I felt something was wrong. The bridge was empty apart from myself and a shade, a figure in the mist. It must be another person given the shape and size. It was only when I came closer that I noticed what was wrong.

He was standing on the ledge, the wrong side of the railing.

 

 _Dammit, a jumper! Why has that to happen to me?_  
I had been in some kind of a foul mood all day long. I had had an interview for a job some days ago and they had promised to call back but that hadn't happened in two days now. Sitting by the phone suddenly had seemed senseless and I had walked out into the drizzle that perfectly represented my mood.

I had run some errands and finally done the shopping and now already drenched to the bone with hair dripping wet, was on my way home.  
All the way from the shop to the bridge I had sworn to myself that I wouldn't check the answer machine first thing.

Now with that tall shape ahead of me I was distracted. _What should I do? I couldn't just walk past pretending I hadn't seen - him._  
It must be a he for the shape was tall, much taller than even I and people tend to call me tall.

My brain was racing, what to do? I forced myself to continue at the same speed, not faster for that might cause him to jump but also not slower so that I wouldn't be counted for being a coward.  
Still, I never had been in such a situation and I could feel my guts churn.

He still stood, hand on the railing, leaning slightly forward but seemingly undecided if he should jump or not.  
"Hi, shitty weather. Doesn't feel like it is summer at all, does it?" I said, just to make a start.  
He turned his head looked at me as if I completely had lost it. _Well, it wasn't me standing there ready to jump, was it?_  
I stopped next to him but not too close so not to scare him. I leaned over the railing and looked down onto the murky, dirty water below.  
"Do you know how to swim?" _Hell! What in all the world had me saying this?_  
He stared at me and then nodded his head. "Yes." He said almost inaudibly.  
"It won't work." I heard myself saying and my conscience was shaking his head.  
He looked at me dumbfounded. "What?" He asked."This," I replied. " won't work, because you know how to swim. If you don't knock your head, you will resurface and swim. Automatically! Self-preservation it's called."  
I paused and he mused.  
"What is so bad that you want to do that anyway?" I asked him.

 

He leaned back and turned a little to face me.  
"I wouldn't want to swallow any of that!" I said, looking down at the river. A shiver ran through me unstoppable just from the mere thought.  
I must have pulled a face as well, for I heard him chuckle softly. It was a rather sad sound though.  
His voice was deep but very soft and I had to lean towards him to make out what he said.  
"I have no place to go." He said.  
"Well, then you're in luck. I am desperate for a room-mate who takes half of the rent. It's too expensive for me and my last room-mate left for the other side of the county for a job. You can move in straight away if you promise to take half of the rent."  
He looked at me astonished as if not believing his own ears.

"You do have a job? Can afford to pay rent, can you?"  
He gave a little shrug and then replied "I guess."  
It was then that I realised that I had taken hold of his jacket sleeve. "What do you mean, I guess? Do you or don't you?"  
"Money isn't the problem." He said, "even though I'm not sure if I have a job still."  
He grinned, looked down at my hands clutching his jacket sleeve. He shrugged and climbed back over to the pavement.  
Whilst he did I asked him why he thought he had lost his job. "What have you done?"  
"Nothing!"  
People say that I can't hide my feelings that they are always written all over my face. It must have been this time as well for he hurried to confirm that he really hadn't done or said anything that could lead to him being fired.

Before I could say anything else he looked down at me and grinned. "You look like a drowned cat." He said and I had to chuckle. "Ditto!" I replied and then shuddered for a dripping from my hair had fallen right down onto my neck.  
"Come on, let's go. I'm not far from here. And if I don't get into the dry soon I can't guarantee anything. Besides if this bag gets any wetter all the food will fall out."  
He nodded and fell in beside me.

"Tell me, what's that about you losing your job and stuff? And why has a guy who has money hasn't a home?"

"Long story." He murmured.

"Well, I've got nothing better to do, apart from getting out of this rain." I said.

At home I threw him a towel and gave him one of my track suit pants and one of my workout shirts, which I always bought several sizes bigger for being able to move. The pants were a little too short for him. He was a very tall guy but they still hung loose on his hips so he had to use the ties.

He was unpacking the food I had bought when I return dried and freshly clothed.  
For a while we worked silently side-by side until all food was stowed away. I put the kettle on and asked him if he preferred coffee or tea. He looked to me as if he rather craved for something stronger but he opted for coffee.

"So what's that long story of yours?" I said with my back turned to make the coffee.  
He began with the fallout he had with his friend and left after a fight. When he returned he told me, he found that the key wasn't working anymore. The locks had been changed to his own apartment.  
The problem was that all the evidence that the apartment was his was inside the suite and out of his reach.  
"There must be a copy of proof. The guy or agency you bought it from should have. Also, don't you have to register your ownership somewhere?"  
We agreed to look into that. I convinced him that he couldn't just leave it like that. He, and he alone had paid for the damn thing.

He then began to tell me why he thought he was without a job. He had overheard a conversation of the guys working in HR talking about interviewing for somebody for his role.  
"They are planning to get rid of me." He concluded but professed that he had given no reason for complaint. "The client I am doing the campaign for is more than happy. Has told me so himself and they have renewed their contract with us on the basis that I continue working for them." He declared.

It was when I heard who he was working with, the company's name, that I felt a cold hand gripping my heart.

The guy they had interviewed or at least one of them had been me. _Fuck!_

"Listen! I think I have something to confess. Or at least to tell you. A couple of days ago I had been invited to an interview for a job." He was about to congratulate me when I raised my hand to stop him. "It was with ... ." He grew pale when he heard that it had been his company and for a role exactly like his.  
"They didn't say I was to replace someone. I asked! They said they had a new campaign coming up, with a new client. They needed someone to take care of that."  
He stared at me with big eyes.  
"They told me if I was to get the job I should get in touch with their recent guy who was looking successfully after another campaign. But they couldn't put that workload onto him for it was too huge and he had had his work cut out with the renewal of the running contract - it seems they were talking about you, I reckon?"

He paled and then nodded. "If it is the contract they were talking about to get on board, it is huge!"  
Just then the coffee was ready and I handed him his cup.  
"Thanks! Honestly, thanks for all!" He said and then pointed at my phone."By the way, your answer machine is blinking. Looks you've got a message."

My cup was almost falling out of my hand when we listened to his boss congratulating me to the new job.


End file.
